naiveties of the small town girl

By now, everyone knows that I am from rural America. I can name all of my classmates and teachers as they were pretty much the same throughout school. We only had two stoplights and they were flashing red. It was 30 miles to a movie theater, Walmart, bowling, and any of that fun stuff. You took people at their word, and if you didn't, it was because they had proved to the whole town they were a dirty bag of scum that couldn't be trusted.

I live in the city now, and I would say I have converted quite nicely. I honk at other drivers (only when they are about to do something stupid and run into my car), don't make eye contact with people I pass on the sidewalk, wait in line for an hour just to mail a letter at the post office, frequent coffee shops, and (at least try to) take advantage of the fun things the city holds for it's residents.

The one thing I haven't mastered: learning not to take everyone at their word. This is a big city and unless you know someone that has had a run-in with a dirty bag of scum, you don't actually know that they are, in fact, a dirty bag of scum. I wouldn't actually assign that title to the business that caused my frustration yesterday, as I know people who have had wonderful experiences with them. I am frustrated because they didn't meet my small town get-it-done when-they-say-they-will expectations.

Two weeks ago, I had my car inspected as I have to do every couple of Augusts. For the first time ever, it didn't pass. Why? Because of a factory malfunction that happens pretty much only on my type of car! So now I'm paying a lot of money to fix what shouldn't be broken anyway. (Beginning of frustration). I got some quotes from car shops and took recommendations from wise men in my life. I picked "Shop A" and gave them a call.

"This is Amanda. We talked last week about replacing those parts on my car. Do you have time to do it on Tuesday?"
"Sure. Bring it in at 8am, and we'll have it done by noon."

And that is just what I did. At 1pm, I still hadn't heard anything. My friend from Wisconsin has been staying with me. We happened to be driving by at about that time and thought we would stop and ask.

"I know you said you would call, but we were driving by so I thought I'd take a chance. Is my car done?"
"Which car is yours?" (Are you kidding me?!)
"The mercury"
"It's the next one in."
"And it will be done by the end of the day?"
"Yes."

4:30 rolled around. I picked up the phone to call them, but as I did, they called me.

"Is it going to be a problem if we keep your car overnight?"
"Yes. I have meetings out in the county tomorrow morning."
"You have no other way to get there?"
"No. I'm a single woman, and I live alone."
"I'll put the bolts back on and you come get it. We close at 5"

So I put on my shoes and started my angry march in the 100 degree weather to the shop. The more I walked, the more the frustration grew and my mind raced. "They had my car for a whole day and only took the bolts off in order to...put them right back on again! This wouldn't happen in small town America. They would have it done!"

When I was close enough to see the building, I realized that I needed to calm down. While it was big inconvenience for me, I really had no idea what had gone on at the shop that day. What had come up, what jobs were supposed to be done but took longer than expected, and so on. "Give them some grace."

So I worked out a time with guy to get it fixed after all of my meetings today. But if it doesn't get done today...
a dirty bag of scum?